The Fundamentals of Meditation

　　by

　　Acharn Plien Panyapatipo

　　Wat Aranyawiwake, Mae Taeng District

　　Chiang Mai, Thailand

　　1999

　　Translate from the Thai language by Assoc. Professor Dr. Chalerm-srie Jan-orn

　　Copyright ©1990 by Wat Aranyawiwake

　　--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

　　Translator”s Note

　　This book is concerned with Buddhist meditation and specifically the practice of samadhi. Samadhi is the Pali language term for concentration and establishing or fixing the mind in one-pointedness. Whereas most other Pali terms have been translated samadhi has been left as a word that the English should adopt.

　　Phra Acharn Plien Panyapatipo

　　 Phra Acharn Plien Panyapatipo was born into the Wongsachandra family on November 16th, 1933, in Sakon Nakorn Province (Sawang-dan-din district) of North – eastern Thailand. He was the third of the six children, with four brothers and one sister. At a young age he went to live with his grandparents until he was 11 years old when he returned to help with the family shop.

　　At the age of 18 he expressed an interest in medicine and worked as an assistant to a country doctor who was also a relative. His plans to continue medical studies in Bangkok were set aside when his mother asked him to stay and help out.

　　Although he has the intention to become a monk since an early age he was finally ordained in 1959 at Wat dhat” Mechai in Sakon Nakorn. He passed the first level Dhamma examination in his third year as a monk.

　　After his first Rains Retreat was over he set out to find good places to practice meditation under great teachers. He met several famous teachers in the Northeast, the South and the North of Thailand. His principal teachers were Acharn Luang Pu Brohm Jirapuñño. Acharn Luang Pu Thet Thetrangsi, Acharn Luang Pu Teur Ãchaladhammo and last but not least Luang Pu Waen Suchinno. (Luang Pu meaning venerable grandfather ) Together with other famous teachers he received instruction and guidance so that his meditation could progress.

　　Acharn Plien is now the abbot of Wat Aranyawiwake in Mae Taeng district of Chiang Mai province in North Thailand.

　　The Fundamentals Of Meditation

　　The essence of concentration (samadhi) is the study of the heart.

　　The mind is cogitating and thinking: pondering about this, wondering about that, turning over assorted problems. Indulging in these suppositions and notions gives the mind no rest.

　　Being aware of the thinking mind is defined (by the Lord Buddha) as mindfulness (sati).

　　The knowledge of the mind occupied in thinking about something is clear comprehension (sampajañña) and discernment.

　　We need to train mindfulness and clear comprehension so that they become swift enough to keep up with the mind. If mindfulness is still weak it will be unable to match up against the speed of the mind, and samadhi can”t then progress. The mind can”t be brought together with the selected meditation object; it can”t concentrate on the in-and out-breathing. Instead it continues on its own way with mindful awareness lagging behind, unable to catch up. We almost manage to bring it in but it then slips away to (thoughts of) “America”, and upon following it we find it”s already back in “Thailand”….or “Germany” and so on. We can but chase after yet never catch up because mindfulness remains undeveloped and immature. It can”t match the mind. This is the source of problem in the development of our meditation practice. It is therefore essential to improve and cultivate mindfulness.

　　The Cultivation of mindfulness starts from being aware of the current bodily posture. If standing, be mindful of that. Walking, sitting or lying down - - be present with that movement and posture. Bathing, eati…

《The Fundamentals of Meditation》全文未完，請進入下頁繼續閱讀…